Winx The New Age: Season 1
by Rain4evah
Summary: A hobbit dreams about becoming a knight, but it seems impossible for him. He's different from the others of his kin and feels like an outsider. He ends up at Redfountain where he meet a Prince of Domino and other friends who will help him.
1. Prouloge

Darkness surounded the mountain and made it one with the dim. It was cold and clammy and a snowstorm chased around it.

There was a slight opening into the mountain, a tunnel that led to a cave.

Two tiny creatures had crept together there for shelter. There was a male carrying a bag over his shoulder and a book under his arm; and a female with a beautiful pendant around her forehead; both of them dressed in worn robes and a cape that covered them. They were covered by a magical shield made of four glimmering gems placed in a circle around them.

One of the hanging stones was about to drop from the ceiling. When it fell, it landed just next to one of the gems and moved it out of its place, causing the magical shield to cease.

The two creatures looked around themselves in half sleep and half confusion. The female laid her arms around herself like she was freezing, but it wasn't really the cold that bothered her.

At last the male opened his mouth. "V-Vi… Viela?"

"Quin?" the female answered, not taking her eyes away from the cold rocks around her.

He rubbed his eyes and looked around. "I do not recognize anything. Are we… still at Domino?"

"I cannot tell. It is… so different." Her eyes moved over to him, terrified. "But I can still feel that dark force that I felt earlier."

His eyes widened. "Are they still here?"

He didn't get his answer, because the silence was suddenly broken by a loud scream that made echoes in the cave, and the two crawled together. As the scream faded, they finally dared to breathe again. Viela looked at her companion. "We have got to get away from here."

Quin nodded, too frightened to answer. Instead he took her hand and together they ran away from the spot they had stood. They didn't dare to look back and continued farther and farther into the cave.

Quin suddenly stumbled over a rock and he fell on the cold ground. Viela looked back at him and dragged him up again. "Come on. Hurry!"

They ran till they saw a slight light, and believing to get out, they hurried even faster. When they reached it they stepped out to cold, fresh air and snow in their faces. They crawled together, shivering.

"I-I remember this place!" Quin said, his teeth clattering. "I found the Perebian herb here. But what has happened?"

"We have got to get back to the others." Viela said, pulling her cape tighter around her.

"But it's impossible to make a way in this snow." Quin said, covering his face from the snow. But Viela was already on her way, and he had no choice but to follow her. "She's hopeless," he said, shaking his head.

It took them horrifying long time to get back to the cave where they lived. It was a small opening like the other they had been in, but this was on the bottom of the mountain and after they had used an hour on getting down, they used almost another one on finding it.

"Viela," Quin yelled over the strong wind. "Can you use some magic to make way?"

"I do not know, it is so cold I cannot." She said back. She took another step, but then she slid on the ice on the rocks and down the mountain side.

Quin wasn't late in following her, but tried to be as careful as possible not to fall himself. But the worry for his companion made him move fast and soon he was by her side at the foot of the mountain. "Are you... alright?"

She didn't answer at the first, she had got her eyes fixed on something. "Look!" she pointed in the direction she looked in and Quin followed her finger to see the cave opening. "We made it."

They weren't late in getting inside. The dark cave was a release from the snowstorm outside. They started walking down the cave until they reached a tunnel. Viela moved with determination without looking to any side, but Quin was memorizing everything he saw. "I wonder why they have not locked the entrance. They always keep someone at the... Off!" He hadn't noticed that he had walked right into Viela, who had suddenly stopped and stood like frozen. He looked up and second later he had the same pose.

The sight that met them was far beyond what they had expected. There was something there in front of them, a statue. No, not a statue, a person; frozen in stone. It had a pose that told that he had been running, fleeing perhaps.

Viela walked over to it and touched it carefully. "It is... I think it is Birren."

Quin's mouth fell open. "No!"

Viela walked over to the statue and knelt down to the ground where it was standing and touched it with her fingers. She bowed down her head and closed her eyes. Quin looked at her as her hands began to glow, a soft, warm light that surrounded her as she started to concentrate. A slight wind was made from the energy that escaped her and touched his face, and for a moment the cold was gone from his body.

He stood in amezement as she used her powers, but suddenly the glowing faded and he watched as she suddenly started shaking from sobbing. He walked over to her and was about to touch her shoulder when she spoke. "16 years." Then she turned to him with tears running down her face. "It has passed 16 years. We have been frozen in time."

Quin felt how all the color in his face disappeared. He couldn't believe it, it couldn't have been so long. 16 years. "And now we have woken up, while the rest of them… has not!"

Viela's sobbing turned louder and Quin woke up from his thoughts and bent down to her, embracing her. She leaned to his chest letting herself be stroked over the hair by him. "What are we going to do?"

"I do not know, Viela." He said low while tears slowly started ro run down his own face. "I really do not know."


	2. Episode 1: A Day's Ride

Authors note:_ This will be my version of a continuation of the Winx Club. I don't know for sure what is going to happen when the series are over, so I'll make the story from my angle. The children of all the Winx Club are within this, and some other characters I've made up myself. __I don't own Winx Club, but I own the other characters. This has nothing to do with The One Ring. _

_There's going to be hobbits in this story, I thought they would make great characters in the Winx universe._

_And other things; I'm going to write these chapters like every one of them were episodes in a tv serie, like the Winx Club, I'll gather them all in one serie. Hope you got no problem with that. Reed each chapter like you watch each episode._

* * *

**Chapter One: A Day's Ride**

The morning sun came through the window of the workshop of Brent. He looked out and smiled at the sight. There was something about the sunshine that always filled him with a mix of warm happiness and at the same time, a deep longing and sadness. But he still liked it, it was filling a part of him that he sometimes felt was missing.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sound behind him. It sounded like a snore, then a clunk and then a "Ouch". He looked under one of the red jetcars and started laughing when he saw the little, blond creature lying under it. "Felin, is that you?"

"Mm-huh?" was the yawning answer he got from the sleepy little hobbit, who tried to wake up by rubbing his blue eyes. "Yes, Mr. Brent, it's me."

"Don't tell me you have been working with that car all night, have you?"

The hobbit crawled out from his sleeping spot under the car. He had oil spots on his worn shirt and his brown pants, and even some in his face. "No, I finished it last night before I went home, but the doors and windows of the restaurant were closed and I didn't dare to wake up the boss; you know how he is. So I went back here through the window and slept here."

"Did he really lock you out again?" Brent said shocked. "What about you mother, didn't she say anything?" Brent said, and he saw a shade cover the hobbit's face.

Felin looked away from him. "Nah, you know her; she don't dare to go against anything." he said, walking over to the window. "No matter if it's about me or... other things." Brent saw how depressed Felin became. He knew how it was between him and his mother, they didn't really get along. He walked over to him, touching his shoulder and looked him into the eyes.

"Felin, even if she doesn't show it all the time, I know that your mother care for you more than anything."

Felin looked down. "I know, but…"

He didn't get to finish before they heard someone at the door to the appartment. A girl with brown hair dressed in red overalls and a green shirt, her working clothes, came out. It was Emeral, Brent's 16 year old daughter and Felins best and only friend. Her green eyes lit up when she saw Felin. "Hey, Felin, are you here already? I thought you had duties in the morning."

"He got locked out again. He's been sleeping under the car," her father said.

"No way!" Emeral said and started laughing.

"It was warm under there." Felin said, but it only made them both laugh at him, and it made him smile and in the end laugh with them.

Emeral held her stomack when her laughter lowered. "We seriously need to make you a bed somewhere, or what, Dad?"

"I see that we have to." Brent's said smiling. "You're spending more time over here than at the restaurant. It's strange that Mr. Slam haven't complained."

Felin smiled back. "He's most satisfied when I'm not around causing trouble." But he soon became serious. "But I should maybe get back, he's going to open soon. I just gotta figure out how to get there without getting caught."

"Don't worry, I have an idea." Brent smiled and blinked.

* * *

Moments later Brent was on his way to the restaurant while Felin hid in the bush right beside the stairs. Brent looked over his shoulder, then into the window, then back, and then to Felin. "Coast is clear."

Felin walked out of the bush and clenched into the wall beside the door. Brent walked in and Felin held the door slightly open with his foot. He watched as Brent went over to the desk where Mr. Slam was writing lists over doings. He always did that before he started the day. Brent put up a light face. "Good morning, Mr. Slam. A nice day, is it not?"

"Huh?" The chubby, bearded man with rings under his eyes said without looking up. "What do you want?"

"I just wondered if my daughter Emeral has been here today. She woke up before me and I can't seem to find her..." he put a hand behind his back and gave a sign to Felin with his finger.

_It's now or never,_ he thought and slipped in the door and stepped on his toes as fast as he could to the first table. As he watched the two men talking, he continued to the next. Slowly making his way to the door that led to the basement where he and his mother were living.

Mr. Slam looked a moment up from the paper. "No mister, she hasn't been here this day. Seriously, what stupid brats are doing isn't my business. This isn't a kindergarten. Was there something else?"

"Oh, I was going to ask if you could hold off a table for me till noon? I think I'll have lunch here later, and your place has got the best salad I know."

Mr' Slam seemed to enjoy the compliment. He wasn't normally smiling, but he loved bragging and compliments about his restaurant. "Won't be a problem, Mr. Brent. Just make sure not to disturb my other guests. I'm having a meeting later today with someone very important."

"Oooh?" Brent widened his eyes, pretending to be interested. "Sounds like big business, Mr. Slam. Well come on, tell me. You're not planning to widen the place, are you?"

Mr. Slam's rare smile grew even bigger, showing his bad teeth. "Oh it's just something that will help my place a little. A little lift you might call it."

He closed his eyes when he burst out in laughter, and Felin saw the opportunity to run to the door. He opened it as silent as possible and slipped inside. He closed the door as light as he could and let the air out of his lungs. Then he started to go down the stairs. His mother wasn't there; she was probably at the kitchen preparing for the guests.

_Well, better get started myself_. He found the bucket and the broom as he wrinkled his nose. He hated washing, especially the floors, but it had to be done. Letting out a sigh, he went to fetch water.

* * *

"Alright, Mr. Slam. I'll see you at noon then." Brent walked out of the restaurant as he waved goodbye to the restaurant owner and started walking back to the workshop. He had customers himself that would arrive soon and he had to get back.

Emeral was preparing to open when he came. Her eyes widened when she saw him and ran over to him. "How did it go?"

Brent smiled. "He got inside, now he's on his own."

"Poor guy. He doesn't like it there." Emeral said.

Brent walked over to the tool box and started to prepare them for the day. "If I could afford it I would have bought him myself. He's really handy with tools and his mechanical knowledges have helped me many a time. It's hard to understand that he's been learning all that by himself."

"He would never accept such an offer, you know how he is about that. He would say; A hobbit is also a person, just like everyone else, not a sale product."

"Well, everyone's doing it here. Someone think it's weird that we don't do it. And maybe it would have been helpful for me now that you're going away."

"M-hm." Emeral said without looking at her father but continued carrying boxes. Brent let go at the screwdriver he held and looked at her.

"When must you be there?"

"Tomorrow," she responded without looking at him. "I've already packed."

"When are you going to tell him?"

"We're going on a ride later, I'll tell him then." she said without looking at him.

"He will understand, Emeral."

She finally turned around to look at him. "But he's going to be so sad, Dad. You know he's always wanted..."

"Emeral, we have discussed this before. He cannot go with you."

"I know."

Brent walked over to her, giving her a hug. "He'll be fine. I'll take care of him."

"Yeah," she said and responded the hug, but she still didn't sound convinced.

* * *

Felin used the first part of the noon to finish all the boring work he had to do. He had to peel potatoes and other vegetables, dust off every shelf, shuffle and every thing that had to be dusted, and last he had to work in the garden. When he was done, he had a meal with his mother Elemie down in the basement. They ate a lukewarm soup made of potato shell and some other vegetables and some rough bread. He had tasted better at Emeral's place, but he knew better than complaining to his mother. She was a great cook and the reason why the guests came to the resturant, but Mr. Slam always put the good words upon himself. The hobbits on Tangera were only servants, slaves. They weren't worth anything, and the people at Tangera had treated them like that for centuries. Even the dwarfs looked down at them for being poor earthdiggers and not of good family.

Felin looked around in the basement when he ate. He watched the small beds in each corner, the large boxes they used for tables and the small boxes they used for chairs. There weren't much decoration in the room, only a few dried flowers that Elemie had hung up so the place wouldn't smell so bad. And in a chest there were the few clothes they had for themselves that Elemie had sew from old clothes. A smaller chest was lying under his own bed, hidden under some strad garments, where he hid his own stuff.

"Were you at the workshop tonight again?" his mother said.

Felin woke up from his day dreaming. "Yes. What else could I do?"

"You should have been home earlier."

There it was, the picking. Sometimes he got the feeling that nothing was good enough for his mother. "I actually get paid for helping her father fixing those cars and reparing whatever is needed. You remember I came home one day with a whole bag of bread just for us."

"My point, Felin, is that you're spending too much time doing things you shouldn't do, while your duties you push under the carpet."

"Hey!" he quickly rose from the chair. "I've done my work for today, I've earned my time." He left the table and walked over to the bed where he pulled out a piece of cloth.

Elemie sighed. "Are you going out again?"

"I'm done, I deserve it," he said and started climbing up to the window right over his bed and went out with no problem. Elemie was left in the basement alone, looking at her son. She didn't like the trips he was going on with that fairy, but if she let him go, she wouldn't have to hear all his complaining and she could have some work done.

Her look was drawn from the window to the small shield that hung on the wall over her own bed, and it was just like it spoke to her. It belonged to Felin's father. "Oh no, don't look at me like that. He's not going on anything worse than that. You did and look what you ended up with. Felin is more hobbit than you ever were."

* * *

Emeral stood outside the workshop of her father with her wind raider, waiting for Felin. She was dressed in a red and black riding suit and held her helmet ready. When she spotted Felin, she changed her expretion from worried to happy. "Done then?"

"Took me ages, but I'm finally ready to ride." Felin said as he sat up behind Emeral at her rider.

Soon they were at a field away from the village. Emeral flew higher and higher above the fields and they saw the long fields of grass and the small river flow over it. "How high do you want it today?"

"Higher!"

"You know you only need like 15 feet, right?"

"Yeah, but I love the feeling of falling. So just go as high as you can."

"Okay, as you wish. Here we go!" And Emeral levitated the wind raider to maximum and on short they were as high as they could go. Felin had packed out what he had brought with him; a homemade jetboard that looked like a skateborad screwed up with junk, but for real it was something that Felin had invented himself. It had a couple of straps that were to place the feet into to keep standing, a holder at the end that was connected to a moonstone, an element they used for energy at Tangera.

"That's all I need," Felin said while he climbed up at the seat. "See'ya down there." Then he made a jump from the windrider and he took the board in both hands, placing his feet in the straps and let himself fall down in circles while he cried out in pure joy. He didn't straighten himself up before he was 30 feet away from the ground. Then he placed his back foot at the pedal at the end that activated the moonstone. An energy blast flung out of it and he rushed through the air faster than any bird. He looked for Emeral but couldn't see her, and he looked at every side. He didn't see her untill she suddenly snuck up from behind and up to his side.

"I'm so gonna win this time," she said.

Felin made the pedal at the back of his board ready one more time. "Hah! Don't count on that, fairy." He stepped on the pedal, and Emeral speeded up her bike. The two friends were riding through the air like knives in water. They always had a competition at the forest, first who came to the end and then who managed to get to the waterfall fastest. Who won was narmally based on luck and coincidences, while they always bragged about who was the best. But they never went any further with it, because they had fun and that was the reason why they did this practise, besides from practicing their skills.

About an hour later they stopped and ate a couple of sandwiches that Emeral had brought with her.

"How long did you load your moonstone tonight, Felin? It's fast today."

"I put it outside of the resturant roof. It was full moon tonight, and I think the stars helped loading too." He held up the blue stone. "These things can gather up to twelve days of moonlight energy and still be able to last for about three days. It depends on the size."

"I've always wondered were you got that from," Emeral said, finishing her sandwich.

"My grandfather gave it to me before Mother and I got to Borderien. He got it from the mines at Gloomsville where the dwarfs dig them out."

Emeral laughed. "Yeah, I always forget your grandfather is a dwarf."

"I don't know. I used to brag about it when I was a kid, but I never got any friends that way, so I figured out it was better not to talk about it." He looked out at the waterfall. "But I've always been proud of it."

Emeral's face suddenly grew darker when she looked at the water. "Remember when we first met? When you saved my life?"

"When you allmost fell of the bridge?" he asked. "Yeah, I remember."

"I don't know what would have happened to me if you hadn't been there to catch me at your jetborad. Since I can't transform like other fairies, I probably..."

"Hey, don't think about that," Felin said, looking at her. "You're here, and that's what counts."

"Yeah, but... ever since that I've wanted to return that favour. And now all I can do is to disappoint you." She looked down, and Felin noticed how sad she became.

"What's the matter, Emeral?"

She looked at Felin, and then back to the water. "Remember when I said we were gonna try to get into the specialist school?" She hid her face in her arms. "Felin, I got in; I got in at Redfountain."

"Wow!" Felin burst out. "Emeral, that's incredible!"

"Yeah, but..." she bit her lip. "I can't ... take you with me."

"You can't?" His words faded.

"I've tried to convince Dad, but there's no possibility that he can get the two of us in. He's been working really hard for my sake, and..."

He didn't look up, but Emeral could hear in his tone that he was dissapointed. "When do you have to be there?"

She waited before she continued. "I have to be in the realm of Magix already tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" he whispered low.

"I got the answer last night. If I don't show up, I'll loose my place. And you know how important that is to me."

Felin continued to stare at the waterfall. It went a while before anyone of them said anyhting more. They were both caught by the moment's sadness. Emeral knew she couldn't have waited any longer, but she regreted it anyway because she could see how sad he became. "Felin, say something," she pleaded. "Anything, just say something!"

"I'm happy for you, Emeral. Really."

Her eyes widened and she looked at him in confusion. "You are?"

He rose when he spoke up again. "I know what it means to you. You're a fairy born without any form of magical powers, and the only way for you to fullfill your true potential is to become a specialist," he said calmly without looking at her. "I hadn't really counted on getting that chance myself, so instead I'll be happy for your sake."

Emeral blinked and embraced her little friend from behind, causing him to loose his balance and laugh. "Oh, Felin. I thought you would be jalous. I know you've always wanted to go to Redfountain."

Felin released himself from her grip and looked at her and smiled. "I remember my father promised to have me in at Redfountain one day, but I haven't heard from him since he left. The only thing I'm sad about, is that I'm going to loose my only friend."

"Felin, you dumb squirrel," Emeral said, rubbing his blond curls causing him to laugh. "You won't lose me as a friend just because I'll be away for a while. I'll come back during the vacations, so we'll still see eachother." She let go, looking at him. "You know, if it will make you feel better, I'll miss you too while I'm gone. I don't know anyone in Magix. I wish I could take you with me, but..."

Emeral became silent and Felin gave her a sore look. "As long as you don't forget about me..."

Emeral grabbed him with both arms so he lost his breath. "Never! Are you in for another ride?"

He smiled. "You bet!"

* * *

Back at the resturant, Brent had just finished his lunch and was about to leave. "Thank you, Mr. Slam. And good luck with that deal of your." Brent opened the door and was almost about to walk right into another person who entered. "Oops! Sorry, sir. Didn't mean it. You first," he said to the thin man with a striped suit and a hat and a mustache that looked like it was dipped in greece. He only snorted at Brent and walked right in. Brent couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the exclusive aftershave he smelled from the man. "Oh, someone's got some expencive habbits here." he watched as Mr. Slam lit up when he saw the man.

"Welcome, Mr. Flaun, welcome." The big resturant owner hurried to one of the tables. "May I offer a seat?"

Brent found it better to leave, so he walked out without a sound. Outside he heard low humming from behind the corner of the house. When he looked, he found Elemie who looked after the flower beds humming at a light tone.

"Hello, Elemie." He said.

The female hobbit almost screamed when she heard his voice.

"I'm sorry, i didn't meant to scare you."

Elemie picked up the cane she had lost on the ground. "Oh, it was my fault. Really, sir."

"I only wanted to thank for once again an excellent meal," Brent hurried to say. "I know that you're the one making the food here."

A slight blush came to view on her face, and she looked down trying not to smile. "Well, nice to know you're appreciated somehow." She hesitated to ask, but at last she opened her mouth and asked. "He wasn't cold, was he?"

"Huh?"

"My son, sir," she said with thrembeling voice. "He... was..."

"Oh, Felin," Brent said. "No no, don't worry about him. He had a warm jetcar above him, so he didn't suffer. I'll make sure to put a bed ready for him if something like that happens again."

"I've been quite worried for him, I suppose you understand." She bowed her head with a sad look on her little face.

Brent knelt and laid a hand on her shoulder. She shrunk a bit at the touch, but when she noticed that he wasn't doing any harm, she calmed down. "Don't worry. I understand."

"He's so impossible sometimes, spending more time on having fun than on anything that matters for a hobbit." She looked up at him when she continued. "But under circumstances... I am actually glad that he's got a friend. He's been such a lonely child."

"He's been a great help for Emeral too. After what happened to Zita, it's been difficult for her, and I'm glad that she's had Felin. They're like brother and sister to eachother. Honestly I wish for her sake that I could by him so neither you or he would get anymore problems, but..."

Elemie shook her head and smiled. "You've done more than enough for him, sir. I couldn't ask for more." She actually managed to laugh a bit. "I wouldn't dare."

Brent smiled back at her.

* * *

That night Felin didn't go to sleep at once. He laid in his bed and looked up at the cealing. He thought about Emeral and Redfountain. He hadn't showed it, but he was actually jealous at her. Going to Redfountain had been a dream he had had since he was a child.

He rose from his bed and pulled out from under it a little chest and opened it. Inside it was a poster he had rolled together. He uprolled it and saw the picture of Redfountain. "I remember the last time I saw you, dad. That was when you promised you would get Me into Redfountain one day when I got old enough. Now I'm 17 and I still haven't heard anything. I don't blame you, not at all. No one would have faith in a hobbit, and least of all of your kind, out there," he said with a low voice and picked up another thing; a medalion. It had some strange ornament made of a metal he didn't know, but it was the dearest thing he had. The moonlight was shining on it and made it sparkle. Why his father had given it to him was a mystery, but it was the only thing he had left from him. "Dad. You promised, but I understand if you didn't manage to keep your promise." Tears appeared in his eyes, but he blinked them away.

He took the medalion around his neck. "One day. It will be my day." He put the poster back into the box and hid it under the bed again before he climbed up to it again and went back to sleep.

He didn't notice that his mother had been watching him from her own bed, looking at her son with a sad expression. But also she went back to sleep again.

Neither of them noticed that the sign on Felins medalion suddenly started glowing.

* * *

When the sun rose then next morning, Felin woke up by some strange noice from upstairs.

He rose from his bed and got his shirt on and noticed that his mother was already up. He could hear her voice from upstairs. What was going on?

He walked up to the door and entered the kitchen. There was his mother, on her knees folding her hands up agains Mr. Slam, who looked down at her in annyoance. At his side was two men, a man dressed in a suit and a hat with a staff in his hand, and beside him again a muscle man with beard and a not so friendly look in his face.

Elemie pleaded like Felin had neved seen her before. "Oh, plese, Sire, I beg you; Don't do it! I'll do whatever you want, but please, not this."

"You be silent, you wreck! I decide here, so don't you question me!" Mr. Slam shouted at her, and Felin's eyes widened and his mouth fell open when he saw his boss kick her mother so she fell to the floor. He hurried to her and stepped in front of her to protect her.

"HEY!" he shouted. "Don't you hurt my mother like that!"

"Felin, don't..." Elemie whispered, but Mr. Slam broke her off.

"I've had enough of you, you brat. Skipping away from your duties long enough. I've had enough of you. But now I won't have to worry about you anymore."

Elemie got up on her knees again. "Sire, please don't do it. Please forgive him. He's so young. He doesn't know what he's saying."

"I do so know what I'm saying, and he deserves to hear it, Mother!" Felin shouted once more. But he didn't get time to say what he was about to, because then some great hands grabbed his arms and held him tight. "Hey! Whatch'ya doing?" He looked up at the bearded man.

Mr. Slam smiled evilly and pointed at the door. "Take him away, fellas."

"What?" Felin said as he got lifted up by they arms. "What's going on? Where're you taking me?"

The man in the suit looked down at him with a sly smile. "You're going to the fields in Verdonence where you'll meet other slaves you'll work with. And there you'll work for the rest of your life." The man bursted out in an evil laughter.

The bearded man started walking out of the resturant and Felin started kicking and wrestling all he could, but it was no use against the strong man. Outside was a truck and the man opened one of the doors and threw him inside and closed it.

Felin got up and started knocking and hitting all he could on the door, but moments later the truck started and began to move. Felin could hear his mother crying his name from the outside. "MOTHER!" he cried back and jumped up to the lattice on the window and saw her trying to run after him, but she was held back by Mr. Slam. Seconds later they passed a corner and he couldn't see her anymore, but he knew that Mr. Slam would hit her again.

He sank down at the floor and leaned on the door. It can't be; it can't! Now I'll never see Emeral again, not even Brent. And Mom... The morning before came to him again when he had spoken to Brent. "Even if she doesn't show it, you mother care for you more than anything." He felt tears fill his eyes. It was true, his mother loved him, and now he would never see her again. He hid his face in his knees as he started crying.

* * *

Outside the workshop Emeral stood waiting for Felin. She wore a couple of kakigreen pants with pockets all over and a yellow sweater with a red t-shirt over it. She looked back and forth getting more and more impatient. "Where are you, Felin?"

"Hasn't he come yet?" her father said from inside.

"No," she answered sadly. "I think maybe it got a little too much for him after all, that I was going and he wasn't."

"Well, we can't wait forever."

She looked down and sighed. "I'll gota go see if he's okay."

"Alright, but don't be late!"

* * *

So she went to the resturant to see Felin, but before she came to the stairs she was aware of something on the ground. She looked down and saw a medalion. She picked it up and stared at it. _Isn't this yours, Felin? He would never leave it on the ground like that._

She didn't get time to wonder because the second later she heard a sound from behind the corner. It sounded like someone was crying, and she could recall the voice of Felin's mother. She walked behind the resturant and got surprised when she found her leaning to the wall, crying.

"Elemie?" she said and walked over to her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong? What happened."

Elemie looked up for a moment and Emeral stroked one of the tears away from her face, and the female hobbit became aware of the medalion in her hand. "His medalion..."

"I found it on the ground. What's happened?" Emeral said.

The female hobbit sniffled before she spoke again. "They took him... they took him away!"

"What?" Emeral said with wide eyes. "Who?"

"The man from Verdonence. He's going to work on the fields." Elemie broke into tears once more.

"What?" Emeral started shaking her shoulders gently. "When did this happen?"

She sobbed. "About a haf hour ago..."

Emeral couldn't help but feel how her anger rose inside her. She had to do something to help her firend. She owed him that.

* * *

"Dad!" Emeral hurried back to the workshop where her father had everything clear. "Felin has been taken away to Verdonence."

"What?" Brent said shocked.

"Someone had bought him. He's going to work on the fields for the rest of his life."

"You can't mean that!" Brent said, but he didn't get an answer because Emeral was running inside to her windrider. She put her helmet on and drove out of the Workshop. "Emeral, what are you doing? We have to leave."

"I've got to do this, Dad. I owe him one."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll explain. Just come with me. I need your help."

"But..."

"No but's, Dad! Come on." Brent sat on behind her, rather skeptical. The next moment they were both flying away.

* * *

In the truck, Felin had finished crying and sat and wondered what he was to do. He tried to climb up to the window again, but the lattice was too strong to break for his little arms, so he just jumped down again. He took himself to the chest to catch his breath, and got a shock. The medalion; his fathers medalion were gone.

Frustraited and furious, he started hitting and kicking the door harder than last time. "LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!"

"Will you be quiet?" someone said from behind. "Someone here is trying to sleep."

Felin got startled and looked behind him. He hadn't noticed that someone else had been there, but now he became aware of five other hobbits lying under woven carpets. He didn't know the others, but to his annoyance, he recognized one of them. "Helo?"

"What?" A red haired hobbit with freckles said. He rose from his place and walked over to him. "By the oat; Felin? Of all hobbits in the world I find you here?" He started to laugh out laud. The other hobbits had got up from their sleeping spots and came to see the newcomer. Helo, the redhaired hobbit, turned to them with a hand in Felins direction. "Everybody, may I present; Felin Hawkenbeak, son of a dwarf." he proclaimed sarcasticly.

"It's Hawkenshield, you pizza-face," Felin snarled bak at him. "Besides it's my grandfather who's a dwarf."

"Whatever. It means nothing. You can see that." Helo said while he smiled slyly. "Just look at yourself; stuck with the rest of us on our way to the oat fields to work our butts of. What happened to that knight role you were supposed to have one day?"

"SHUT UP!" Felin shouted.

"What is it, Felin? Just realised that you're nothing better than us?" Helo walked over, face to face with him. "Just face it, Felin; our way can't be changed no matter what you say or do."

Felin knew he shouldn't get angry, but he had been through so much today that he couldn't help. Without warning he raised his first and hit Helo right in the face so he fell back at least a meter. The other hobbits watched in horror, and one of them helped Helo back on his feet. He had gotten a bruise on his cheek from the hit and he now looked at Felin, just as furious. "You've always been violent, but NOW..."

"Keep silent back there, or I'll come and beat up everyone of you!" the bearded man shouted from the driver's seat.

"Go ahead!" Felin shouted back. "You can start with Helo!"

A hobbit girl with brown braids made one step to him. "Please, stop. If the boss gets too angry, we won't get any food."

"Like I care." Felin said and turned away.

Helo snorted at him. "How selfish, like always. He never wanted to help with any work and laid everything on others, going out on adventures, while we others..."

"Helo, please stop you too." The girls, said pushing him back. "Let's not make it any worse than it is."

Felin didn't answer anymore, only concentrated on how to get out of there. Once more he jumped at the window and grabbed the lattice and looked out. It would be difficult to get out in this speed, but they had to stop somewhere. When he saw the field fly by, he got to think of his trips with Emeral. She was probably on her way to Redfountain now, believeing that he hadn't wanted to come along after all. _I'll never see her again, or Brent... or mother..._

He didn't get time to think anymore because then he got his eyes fixed at something on the road. A windrider was driving towards them from behind. He recognized it. It was Emeral! He couldn't believe it, but it was really her. And someone behind her... no! Could it be Brent? Yes, it was him. "EMERAL!" He waved with his right arm holding himself up with the other to make her notice him. It looked like she did because she speeded up her windrider.

Soon she was close enough to reach his hand, but that wouldn't have helped anything. Instead she waved towards him, and held up her thumb. He knew what that ment; she had a plan.

Felin felt his eyes fill up with tears again. She had let got of her chance to get into Redfountain to save him. She was really a true friend, such one he had never had.

* * *

"So you have got a plan." Brent said, "But what is that about?"

They had speeded up and driven off the road a while away from the place the truck was about to drive. They were now hiding in a pit close to the road.

"I've got one, but you have to play along." she said in a sure tone. Brent let out a sigh and lokked at his daughter. He knew what she was capeble of, but he still worried about her. She whispered what she had thought out and he nodded.

"Alright, but be carefull. I MEAN it!" he looked seriously at her, and she bowed her head down.

"I promise, i will."

Shortly after the truck appeared, and Emeral hurried to throw the big rock at the road.

The truck drove over it, and jumped almost three feet up in the air. It made a few twistes at first, but managed to stop i the middle of the road. The man in suit and the bearded man who drove had to recover from the shock.

"Ow! What happened?"

"I think we drove over something, boss," the bearded man said.

"I understand that, but what..." He stopped and gasped. There at the road from where they had comed they could see a person lying at the road. A girl. Her wind raider was lying at the ground beside her. Her helmet were still on, but the girl wasn't movng.

The two men weren't late out of the truck and towards her to se if she was alive. The bearded man knelt down and carefully listened to her heart. "She's alive, boss. But she might be...

They both gasped when the girl suddenly moaned. The bearded man tried to lift her up, but then she suddenly sceamed out loud. "OW OW OW!" Then she started moaning and sobbing over eachother.

The two men wasn't sure of how to handle this. The suited man bent down to her. "There there, lass. Tell me where it hurts."

"OOW, it HUUURTS!" was the answer they got and the man tried again.

"Yes yes, but where?"

"My leg... can't move my leg..." She managed to say. The bearded man touched her leg carefully, but then she only started yelling even louder than before. "DON'T TOUCH; IT HUUURTS!"

She continued howling and the two men were to busy trying to calm her down they didn't notice that Brent was sneaking up from behind the truck. He silently and fast made his way to the front where he opened the drivers door and lirked the keys out as fast as he could before he went to the door behind. He started to look for the right key to the doors when Felin appeared in the window again.

"What is going on?" He said. "Is Emeral wounded?"

"She's alright, Felin. She's distracting them. I'll get you out of here."

"Thank's, but keep a little quiet, will you? We're not alone here." Felin said and looked back at the other hobbits to see if they were paying attention. Luckely they seemed to still be shocked after the turbulent twisting, so he turned back to Brent. "Why are you doing this? What about Emeral going to Redfountain?"

"We have to do this Felin." Brent said when he finely found the right key. "She told me what you did for her. There we got it!" He opened the door and Felin jumped out, looking at him in surprice.

"You mean, she told you?" Felin said.

"She had to explain why she had to do this, and I couldn't turn my back on someone who saved my daughters life. Now let's get out of here before they come back." Brent lurked from the side of the car and saw that they were still caught up with Emeral. "Come!" he said and they started running away.

But as they got away from the car, they were unaware that someone was watching them. Helo lurked his head out and watched as Felin and Brent run. An unsatisfied expretion turned up on his face. He wasnt' going to let Felin get away that easy. It took only a moment before he decided what to do. "THIEVES! THIEVES!" he screamed out as loud as he could.

The two men became aware of him and looked back. The man in the suit got up. "What is going on?"

Felin and Brent looked back, and Felin bit his teeth when he saw Helo with a satisfied look on his face. "Was that friend of you?" Brent asked.

"Not at all!" He answered before he cried: "RUN!"

The two men hurried up. "One of the slaves are escaping. Hurry!" the suited man said.

While they turned away, Emeral quicly got up and opened her watch and clicked at one of the bottons that was inside it. Her wind raider activated and rose by itself, and Emeral quicly jumped on it. Fast as the wind she passed the two men and drove in direction of her father and Felin and stopped right in front of them. "Jump on, you guys!"

They quicly obeyed, Felin climbed on in front of Emeral and her father behind. Then she warmed up the motor at her wind raider again and made a cloud of smoke before when the two men appeared. They coughed and gasped and tried to fan away the smoke, but when they had clear sight, they noticed that there was no one there.

"Where'd they go, boss?" the bearded man said.

"I don't know. The suited man frowned. "But there was something familliar with one of them." Then he turned back to the other hobbits, who stared with overwhelmed faces at what had just happened. "Lock the truck, we're done here."

About a half kilometer away, the three on the windrider breathed out in delight. While they were still looking in front of themselves, Emeral had turned the wind raider around and floewed over them and the truck driving in the opposite direction.

"Hah!" Emeral cheered out. "That was awesome! I wish I had seen their faces when we were gone."

"Don't get too happy, young lady." Brent said in a serious tone. "We've got alot to talk about when we get home."

* * *

Soon they were all three back in Borderien and inside Brent's workshop. Emeral leaned to the window with crossed arms and looked down in the floor while she got a scolding from her father.

"You won't say that you almost fell down from the bridge? And without telling me? How could you do this to me, Emeral? How could you?" Brent was walking back and forth when he talked, but at the last sentence he stopped an raced his arms before throwing them down again.

"It wasn't my fault, Dad. It was those witches who..."

"It's not about who's blame it is. The point is; how can I trust you after this?" Brent turned to his daughter and looked at her, but she looked away, having nothing to respond with. "You should have told me about it, Emeral. I'm your father and I have the right to know if something happens to you!"

Emeral looked up at fer father finely, with anger and tears in her eyes. "And then what? You wouln't have let me do anything ever again, just after ONE accedent! I really DID become more carefull with driving after that, but you wouldn't have believed in me because you're always so damn overprotecting." She stopped and turned away to wipe her tears away before she continued. "Just because I'm not able to tranceform and defend myself with magic doesn't mean I'm helpless. But even you treat me like I was! I can't help for who I am!" Unable to continue, and unable to prevent the tears from running, she kept silent and let them fall.

Brent stared at his daughter, not knwoing what to say. The sight of his daughter crying was something he couldnt bear. But the thought of being the one who had hurt her feelings was unbeareble.

He walekd over to her tauching her shoulder. "Emeral... I'm sorry if I have hurt you. I really never meant that. It's just that..." he strugled to find words. "You're everything I have of true value in life. If something happens to you, I don't knwo what I'll do. " He turned her around and wiped away the teares from her face. "You are the only thing I have to live for!"

Finely able to look him in the eyes, she got surpriced to see that he was actyelly misty eyes. "Oh, Daddy..." Feeling with him, she laid her arms around him. "I'm sorry too. I really am. I really should have paid more attention to the road. But," she smiled. "Come'on. How many hobbits on a homemade flying board do you see eweryday? It's no wonder I got distracted."

They looked at Felin, who untill then had been sitting on a case, but now became aware of the sudden attention. "Hey! I didn't even know you were there."

They bursted out in laughter and Felin couldn't help but laugh himself.

Emeral walked over to him. "I believe this is yours, Felin?"

Felin looked up as she held in her hand what he thought was gone forever. "Father's medalion! I thought it was gone." He run and grabbed it with both hands clinging it tightly to his chest smiling like he had never smiled before.

"I found it outside the resturant. That's when I thought something was wrong." She knelt down and stroke away a tear that had escaped from his eye. "I think your father is guarding you wherever he is."

Felin relieced the grip and took the medalion around his neck again. "I guess you're right." he said and tired to swallow. He looked up at her with guilty eyes. "I'm sorry, Emeral. You gave up your place at Redfountain for me today." He looked down.

"Oh, what the heck." she responded and gave him a sudden hug. "It was worth it. I might figure out something else."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Brent said.

Emeral reliesed the grip on Felin and the two looked up at him.

"Besides your blummers, you acted incerdibly brave and clever this morning, Emeral. You reacted quicly and spontanious, and that's qualifications that suits for a specialist." Emeral looked up at her father, not knowing what to believe. He just continued. "Besides, I worked my but off to get you in there, do you think I would want all that work be gone to waste?"

She rose and continued staring at him. "But... is there still time?"

"If we leave at once, we might reach it. I'll just give a call and tell them we will be a bit late. They accept that as long as you give a message."

"Oh Daddy, I love you, you're the best!" She cried out and jumped over to him giving him a big hug, and the anger that had been on Brent's face was replaced by a great smile. But then she looked at her father with worry. "But, what about Felin? he can't go back there now?"

Brent looked at Felin. "Oh, we'll just take him with us."

"What?" Felin looked at hism with disbelif. "Me? Go to Magix?"

"You'll just get trouble if you got back there. Don't worry, we'll figure out something for you."

"That would be great - oh..." he said as he suddely remembered something. "Can we wait for just a little while? I have something I need to do first."

* * *

At the resturant Elemie walked down the basement stairs. Her eyes passed the room, from the kitchen to her bed, and then... Felins bed. It was unmade, as he used to have it. The cheet was ruffled and the quilt out of place.

She walked to the bed, sat on it and grabbed the quilt of his and led it to her nose, feeling the sent of her son as if he was still there. "Oh, Felin... My dearest..." Tears appeared in her eyes and she burried her face in the quilt when the cry came.

She would never see him again. Ever...

But is was quicly interupted by a sound behind her. A sound she knew too well.

She turned around to the window over her sons bed, and she wasn't sure of what to belive when she saw him there. "My dear son!"

She climbed on the bed and opened the window so he could climp inside, but he hadn't even got on the floor before she embraced him. "Oh, Felin. I thoght I'd never see you again. My dearest...."

"Mom, are you alright?" Felins said when he finely managed to loosen the grip of his mother. "Did he hurt you?"

"Not as much on the outside as on the inside, my son." she said while she wiped her tears away with her apron. "But what about you? How..."

"Mr. Brent and Emeral got me out of the truck and back at the workshop. But I can't stay here anymore. They'll come to look for me. And if they catch me, They'll never let me go."

"But what are you going to do?" Elemie said in despair.

"I don't know. I could maybe go to Grandpa and Grandma for a while. Mr. Brent promised he would help me anyway. But guess what?" he said. "Emeral's going to Redfountain in Magix, and I'm going with them! Not to begin, but to see it for real."

"What?" Elemie burst out. "Are you going all the way to Magix?"

"Mr. Brent and Emeral will look after me, you know you can trust them."

Elemie looked down, like she hesitated to speak, but at last she said. "Felin? Have you got the medalion from your father?"

"Yeah. Got it right here." He said and pulled it out from under his shirt. "I think it bring some sourt of luck. If Emeral hadn't found it, she wuldn't have got me out of there."

"Right." She lad both hands on his shoulders. "Take it with you to Magix, will you? Just so I know that you'll be... secured when you're there."

"I will." he said. "And Mom?" He embraced her before continuing. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being so mean to you all these years. I had a dream and... I just wanted to... Oh heck. I love you, Mom." He his his face in her chest and she returned the embrace kissing his head and stroking his hair.

"You've always made me proud, Felin. The way you always stay up each time everything goes down and how you pull yourself up when you fall."

"Thanks Mom." he said and loosened the grip while blinking. "I gotta go now."

"I know." Elemie kissed him one last time. "I'll think of you, my son."

Then Felin climbed up to the window, opened it and snuck out as fast as anyone, but he gave her a wave before dissapearing. Elemie couldn't help but smile when he left. He was safe, that was all that mattered now.

"I know you'll have your dream come true one day, my son." she mumbled to herself. "Someday!"


End file.
